That's How It Feels
by Ryuko Ishida
Summary: This is a RikaXRyo story set on 1 year after the defeat of D-Reaper. Rika realizes that she is falling in love with Ryo. But will she admit the feelings?
1. The School Day

That's How It Feels- Meeko Melodie  
  
Description: My second fan fiction. This is a Ryo + Rika romance story. It's set about one year after the tamers defeat the D-Reaper, when Rika is 14 (Grade 9) and Ryo is 16 (Grade 12). Rika slowly noticed that she was falling for Ryo, but will she admit her feelings to him? Read and find out yourself.  
  
Meeko: (Excited) Hi, everyone! I'm back and this is my second fan fiction I have written. I hope you'll enjoy it.  
  
Ryo: (grinning) they sure will.  
  
Meeko: What makes you think they'll like it, huh?  
  
Ryo: The fact that I'm in this fiction.  
  
Rika: (disgusted) Argh!!  
  
Meeko: Ha-ha! I feel the same way, Rika. Hey, you want to read the disclaimer for me?  
  
Rika: Sure. Meeko DO NOT owns Digimon or any characters in it, so just don't sue her.  
  
Meeko: Thank you! Now let's get to the story, here's chapter 1.  
  
Chapter 1: School Day  
  
It was one year after the Digimon Tamers had defeated the D-Reaper. Rika Nonaka, Takato Matsuki, Henry Wong, Jeri (don't know what her last name is :P), Kazu Shioda and Kenta Kitagawa had all started Grade 9 this year while Ryo Akiyama started Grade 12. Not much had changed among the tamers except Rika changed to the same public school as the other tamers and Ryo moved out of the West Shinjuku area to start his school year. The fact that Ryo was moving surprised the tamers.  
  
~ Flashback~  
  
"What? You're moving?!" Kazu, a brown hair, kind of tall guy and Kenta, a boy with glasses half shouted in disbelief.  
"Calm down!" Ryo, a cute boy (sorry, I can't resist) with brown hair put in spikes and with sky-blue eyes, said. "It's not like I'm going to move to the other side of the earth. I'm just moving to the other side of the city."  
"Phew," Kazu sighed in relief, "buddy, you just freaked us out for a minute there."  
"Who said 'us'?" came a cold voice that was WAY too familiar.  
"Rika!"  
"Who do you guys think it was," Rika said.  
"Hey, you came," Ryo said in an almost exciting voice (ALMOST exciting).  
"Duh! Of course I did," Rika snapped in an annoyed tone which was only saved for Ryo.  
Ryo shrugged and smiled. This action immediately irritated Rika as she said, "I heard you're moving, Ryo. O man, and I was hoping you'll move to Iceland or something."  
"Not a chance," Ryo said jokingly and smiled once again to her but when his sky-blue eyes met her violet ones, Rika could feel heat coming up to her cheeks.  
"Jerk!" Rika said to Ryo as she escaped his eyes.  
  
~End of Flashback~  
  
Today was the first day of school in all over West Shinjuku. Outside West Shinjuku Public High (I don't know any high school name in Japan, sorry!), students were walking into the school in excited chatters.  
For the tamers, they all agreed to wait outside the school entrance so they could find their classrooms together.  
"Where's that goggle head?" Rika said, impatiently as usual," we're going to be late if he does not show up in five minutes."  
"Don't worry," and as usual, Henry said calmly," he'll show up soon enough."  
"He better," Rika muttered under her breath.  
Suddenly---- "Hey, guys," Takato yelled.  
"Will you hurry up already?" Kazu shouted desperately. When Takato finally reached the tamers, he panted and said, "Sorry, I.," But someone cut him off, "Cut the apology, Mr. Matsuki. We are running late," it was Rika, of course.  
Kenta looked up at the clock and gasped, "Oh no, only 4 minutes!" The group ran as fast as their legs could carry them and managed to find their homerooms in time. (Meeko: It's a miracle!)  
During history lesson when Rika and Henry were sitting together, the teacher drowned the class with the information of World War 2. The whole class seemed to be asleep except for a few who were occasionally jotting down a note or two. Rika was staring at the stack of papers on which she was supposed to write down the notes. She took out her pencil and wrote down on her page: Ryo Akiyama.  
She stared at the words that she had written for a moment when she suddenly realized something and said," Shoot!"  
"Shoot?" the teacher asked," Miss Nonaka, are you paying attention to the lesson at all?" The class sneered except for Henry, who just looked surprised.  
"Oh.they'll pay for this," Rika thought angrily as the class still giggled.  
"No," Rika mumbled.  
"Excuse me?" the teacher said, coming closer.  
"No, Miss, I didn't pay attention during the stupid lesson, all right?" Rika shouted hotly.  
"Rika Nonaka!" the teacher was shocked, "this is no way to speak to me, you understand? Go stand in the hall way now." Rika stood up and in an unusual calm nature, she walked out the door.  
"This is the first warning to you, Miss Nonaka. You go out and think about what you have done wrong," the teacher said sternly," the third, you'll pay a visit to the principal." Rika pretended she didn't hear the teacher's words and stood outside.  
Rika instantly started to think, but not about her mistake.  
"What am I doing?" Rika asked herself. "Why am I thinking about Ryo Akiyama in history class?" she asked herself again, "and why am I even crazy enough to write down his name?" She pondered on these questions until lunch time.  
  
~ Lunch Time ~  
  
"Rika!" Henry shouted in the cafeteria as he saw Rika walking over to a table to sit by herself. But Rika seemed to be thinking deeply about something for she couldn't hear him. Henry grabbed his lunch and walked towards Rika.  
"Is this seat taken?" Henry asked. Rika appeared to be deaf and was staring at her food.  
"Earth to Rika," Henry said a little louder, waving his hand in front of her face and that startled Rika.  
"Huh?" Rika said, looking around and found herself looking at Henry, "oh, hi Henry."  
"Hey to you," Henry said, as he took a bite of his sandwich.  
"You got something in your mind?" Henry asked.  
"How do you know?" Rika said in amazement. It looked as if the only person who can understand her feelings was Henry.  
"Because of you did during history class today," Henry explained," it's pretty obvious."  
"Oh.," Rika said in embarrassment.  
"What happened?" Henry asked, getting back to the topic.  
"It's nothing," Rika replied with a careless shrug. Henry looked her closely with anxiety.  
"Really, it's nothing to worry about," Rika replied once more.  
"If you're sure," Henry said, still believing Rika was hiding something. Both of them continued to eat their lunch in silence until.  
"Henry! Rika!" a loud voice suddenly cut through the peaceful silence between the pair. Rika groaned as she heard Kazu's annoying voice.  
"What are you two doing here, alone?" Kazu questioned, as the rest of the tamers closely followed and he was emphasizing the last word.  
"What do you think genius?" Rika said in a sarcastic tone of hers as she continued," Hmm.let's see. What would someone do in a cafeteria?" Kazu ignored Rika's sarcastic remark as he said teasingly," Ryo is going to be jealous."  
At the word 'Ryo', Rika cheeks started to glow the tiniest pink and she snapped," Who cares about Ryo anyway."  
"But Ryo cares about you," Kenta added. Now Rika's cheeks were even rosier and she said, "Anyone mention Ryo's name again, they'll be history!" Rika sounded so deadly that even Kazu and Kenta shut their big mouths. Rika left the table in silence as Henry was thinking: Now I know what's going on.  
  
~ After School ~  
  
Students filed out from the school ground when the bell rang at 3:30. Rika was walking home by herself. As she was walking on the sidewalk, she was asking the same question again and again.  
"Why did I have this weird feeling inside me whenever someone mentions Ryo?" She had never felt this way before towards Ryo or any other boys in this case. The first time Rika met Ryo was on a Card Game Tournament where Ryo beat Rika. The second time they met was in the Digital World last year. At that time, Rika was being rude to him but later, when they were fighting against the D-Reaper, they became good partners and since then, she felt weird around him. But she didn't know why. It was a peculiar feeling.  
  
~ On the other side of the town~  
Ryo walked out of his school, saying goodbye to his friends. He walked through the deserted streets which leaded to his apartment. On his first day of school, he already had to read three books in two months. After all, Ryo was in his final year in high school and he had expected the homework load. He sat down on the sofa in his stuffy hot apartment and looked at a stack of blue and green Digimon Game Cards. He had decided not to participate in the future tournaments but he still play with them sometimes. Now Ryo was staring at the cards, thinking about- Rika. Ryo had always thought of Rika as his competitor in the past, good partner and friend now. But somehow, Ryo had a feeling that Rika wasn't thinking the same way as he did.  
Sighing loudly to himself, he reached for the television control and clicked it on. He decided to read his novels later.  
  
Meeko: Ok, I know it's long and boring and everything. But please, please bear with me. It'll get better in the later parts.  
  
Ryo: (cheerfully) It's ok, they'll love it.  
  
Rika: (rudely) How do you know, smart guy?  
  
Meeko: (interrupted) Please don't say because you're in it.  
  
Ryo: (disappointed) Fine, be that way!  
  
Meeko: (sigh) Please send comments to moon_underwater4000@hotmail.com Thank you!  
  
Ryo: You're welcome.  
  
Meeko: Shut up! (Chasing Ryo around while Rika is laughing her head off.) ^____^ 


	2. The Phone Call

That's How It Feels - Meeko Melodie  
  
Meeko: Yo, yo! Everybody, what's up?  
  
Rika: I think they're good, Meeko. Now why don't we get on with the story?  
  
Meeko: Ok. I do not own Digimon or the characters in there. Period.  
  
Ryo: Err . . . Right. (Making a face.) Let's go the chapter 2.  
  
Chapter 2: The Phone Call  
  
Rika was playing with her chopsticks during dinner that night.  
"Rika?" her mother asked caringly.  
"Hmm . . .?" Rika answered, still not eating her dinner.  
"You okay?" Rika's grand mother asked, looking at Rika.  
"Yea, I'm fine," Rika replied and put down her chopsticks. "I'm not very hungry," Rika said and asked," May I be excused?"  
"Of course dear," Her mother said worriedly, wondering what was wrong with her daughter. Rika stood up and walked slowly towards her room. She needed someone's advice on her strange feelings towards Ryo. She considered who would be the safest to call-Henry. She dialed Henry's number and waited patiently for someone to pick up the phone.  
"Hello?" a male voice answered the phone.  
"Henry?" Rika asked, kind of nervously.  
"Yea," Henry answered and asked immediately," what's wrong?"  
"I don't know what's wrong with me," Rika said desperately," I was writing Ryo's name in history class today and I was so surprised at myself that I said shoot."  
"I think I know," Henry replied wisely.  
"Well, what is it then?" Rika asked with intense.  
"I think," Henry replied in a calm voice," you are falling in love with Ryo." Rika was speechless for a second; she was too shocked to say anything.  
"But . . ." Rika stuttered," how can I . . . fall in love with HIM?"  
"How should I know?" Henry said, shrugging, and then replied more gently, "maybe you should talk about it with Ryo yourself."  
"But . . ." Rika was still shocked, but she now at least knew that she was falling in love with a boy for the first time in her life.  
"Thanks," Rika said to Henry after a pause.  
"No problem," Henry said and then hanged up the phone, leaving Rika to think about her confusing situation. Rika knew she should talk to Ryo but the topic was just too embarrassing, she couldn't make herself dial Ryo's number. So, she just sat there at the exact same spot, lost in thought.  
  
~ At Henry's house ~  
  
Henry hung up the phone and sat there. He knew that Rika liked Ryo and he decided to get them together. He slowly dialed Ryo's number. . .  
  
Meeko: I know this is short and everything, but hey, chapter 1 is long, right?  
  
Ryo: Sure . . .  
  
Rika: Shut up, Ryo!  
  
Ryo: (sweetly) ok, wild cat.  
  
Rika: (grinding her teeth) what did you call me, Ryo Akiyama?  
  
Ryo: (panic) Err . . . Nothing. (Rika chasing Ryo around)  
  
Meeko: Well, let's leave those two alone then. Please send comments to moon_underwater@hotmail.com I'll be waiting . . . 


	3. The Christmas Party

That's How It Feels- Meeko Melodie  
  
Meeko: We're back!  
  
Rika: So soon?  
  
Meeko: Yup!  
  
Rika: (shrugging) Okay.  
  
Ryo: Hey girls!  
  
Meeko and Rika: (groaning)  
  
Ryo: What? (Innocently)  
  
Rika: Never mind, genius. (Sarcastically, of course) Meeko does not own Digimon or any of us here. Also, the song in this chapter doesn't belong to her, either; it belongs to the Wave.  
  
Meeko: (grinning) again.  
  
Ryo: Here's chapter 3.  
  
Chapter 3: The Christmas Party  
  
Day after day, Rika gave herself excuses not to phone Ryo. But as the time dragged on, she felt more uneasy. Finally on day in November, she decided to send him a letter:  
  
Ryo,  
Hey, it's me, Rika. Look, I have to tell you this on a letter because I don't think I can say this on the phone. The thing I want to tell you is that I . . . I like you. I don't know what in the world make me say this but this is true.  
Rika  
  
Rika sent the letter. She didn't' know if Ryo had received it yet or what he would think about the letter. This is driving her crazy. For the next few weeks, she was so nervous that she didn't even go meet the tamers on weekends, in case Ryo was there.  
Henry understood Rika's situation and he asked during one lunch time," you told him yet?"  
"Yeah," Rika replied, but she kept quiet about the rest of it, so Henry didn't ask her again.  
  
~ December ~  
  
It was the beginning of December. All over West Shinjuku, streets, buildings and houses were covered by clean, white snow. On day after school, when Rika was about to leave the school, Jeri ran to her excitedly and asked, "Hey Rika! There's a Christmas dance on the twenty fourth down in the community centre, want to come?"  
Rika hesitated; she had never went to dances, not even the school ones. But she decided to risk this one and answered, "Sure, I'll come. Who else is coming?"  
"Uh . . . let's see," Jeri was thinking, "Henry, Suzie (Henry's little sister), Takato, Kazu, Kenta, Ryo and myself." As soon as Rika heard 'Ryo', she asked nervously, "Ryo's coming too?"  
"Err . . ." Jeri said uneasily, "yea, he's coming. Seeing Rika's uneasiness, she asked kindly, "Are you ok with it?"  
"Yea, yea," Rika answered with confidence.  
"That's great," Jeri said and waved goodbye as she walked the other way. Rika continued to walk back home, once again deep in thought.  
  
~ Friday, December 24th 4:00 pm ~  
  
"Hmm . . ." Rika opened up her closet and was uncertain on what she should wear in the dance. She looked through her closet for about fifteen minutes and finally decided on something. She put on a sky-blue turtle neck sweater and a navy blue skirt. This was the first time she had ever worn a skirt, not counting her old school uniform. On six o'clock, Rika's mom drove Rika to the community centre and dropped her down. She walked up the stairs and reached the oak doors. Music was roaring on the other side of the doors. Rika breathed in deeply and opened them.  
Inside the huge ball room, a large Christmas tree was standing in one corner, with the glass ornaments being hanged on the branches. Blue, silver, green and red streamers were dangling from the ceiling. The dark room was enlightened with different colored light bulbs, which were slung on the sides of the walls. Snacks and drinks were set on tables along side the walls.  
Rika had a difficult time finding her friends but she finally spotted them in a corner. She walked towards them.  
"Hey!" Rika greeted them, then she noticed Takato and Jeri were missing. "Where are Takato and Jeri?" Rika asked. Kazu and Kenta snickered and Rika found it so annoying that she snapped," What?"  
"Look over there," Kazu stopped laughing and pointed towards the dance floor. Rika looked over and saw Takato and Jeri dancing there. Standing with the group, she at last noticed Ryo and blushed lightly at the sight of him. Ryo saw Rika looking at himself, so he said," Hey Rika! I thought you hate dances."  
"I do hate dances," Rika replied, again with sarcasm, "But I can come if I want to."  
"Of course," Ryo said and looked away. He seemed to be awkward towards Rika. For the rest of the party, Kazu and Kenta had actually managed to find partners to dance with. Henry was dancing with a long- haired girl whom they have never seen before and Suzie, Henry's little sister went somewhere to play with her friends. All through the night, Rika was sitting on one of the chairs and it was the same for Ryo.  
A slow song came; it was "That's How It Feels". Rika stared at the stone hard floor when a voice asked," May I have this dance?" Rika was surprised that someone had actually asked her. She looked up and found herself staring into a pair of sky blue eyes. Rika nodded and Ryo took her to the dance floor, they started to dance to the beat of music.  
  
(# represents the lyrics ( )  
  
# It's such a crazy ride You feel it deep inside It seems like I could touch the sky (the sky) Just being close to her She heals me she's my cure From all the pain out in the world #  
  
Ryo and Rika dance in silence when Ryo suddenly said, "Rika, don't waste your time on something that will never happened. It'll be much happier for you if you let go." Rika looked up in to Ryo's blue eyes quizzically. She didn't really understand.  
  
# That's how it feels when you know you've finally found her #  
  
"Just give up, it'll be better for you if you do," Ryo explained.  
  
# Can't wait until you're back around her #  
  
"What . . . what do you mean?" Rika asked.  
  
# It's like waking up from a dream that turns out to be real #  
  
"Is it really that hard to understand the words 'give up'?" Ryo asked.  
"Ok, so I do get what you mean," Rika said in a defeated voice," but I want you to say it out loud."  
  
# It's all become so clear to see #  
  
"You already know what I'm trying to say," Ryo said.  
"But I want you to say it to me, don't you understand?" Rika demanded tears were rolling in her eyes, blurring her sight.  
  
# It's like driving way to fast #  
  
"We'll never be together," Ryo said quietly. As these words came out from his mouth, tears in Rika's eyes slowly rolled down her cheeks but she didn't bother to brush them away. Ryo, who was still holding on to Rika's hands, glanced at her and was hurt at the sight of Rika crying.  
He had never seen her cry, a tough girl like Rika, and he felt so sorry but he had told her the truth. The truths always stab one's heart.  
  
# It's like laying on the beach Where the ocean air smell so sweet #  
  
"I'm sorry," Ryo said gently, "you can hate me all you want."  
"Ha . . ." Rika laughed with mockery, "you know I wouldn't hate you." Tears were still rolling down from Rika's violet eyes.  
  
# It's like waking up from a dream that turns out to be real #  
  
"I can understand how you feel," Ryo said softly.  
"Yea . . .? How? "Rika asked, sarcasm was still in her voice.  
"I've been turned down by a girl before," Ryo said, still painful from his memory. Rika was speechless, but it was from the anger, which was starting to rise inside her but she tried to control herself. The song ended and another one started. Rika let go of Ryo's hands quickly and ran out of the room, with Ryo closely behind her.  
"Rika!" Ryo shouted on the snow covered street. Rika continued to run but slipped on the ground. Ryo rushed to her and tried to help her up but Rika stood on her own.  
"Get away from me," Rika told him in a deadly voice. She walked on, shivering on the way and tears gliding down her cold cheeks.  
Ryo just stared after Rika on the road under the yellow street lights . . .  
  
Meeko: There! Another chapter done!  
  
Rika and Ryo: Yay!!  
  
Meeko: Thanks for the comments, people! But it's not enough, please send in more, good or bad, to moon_underwater@hotmail.com 


End file.
